AKASH SAMAROO
Fate unceremoniously and callously left little time for the Bhowram family to experience the joy of welcoming baby Luke into the world.
With the now six-week-old infant sleeping peacefully in his mother’s arms, blissfully unaware of the threats to his mortality, Shalini Bhowram recounted how quickly the day of his birth went from unbridled delight to abject despondency.
“He was diagnosed with Complex Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease that’s when the arteries are switched and he has three holes in this heart, two large and one small,” the 28-year-old mother said at their Longdenville home.
Cyanotic congenital heart disease involves defects in your heart that reduce the amount of oxygen throughout your body. Most babies with CCHD will need treatment to survive. Treatments include oxygen therapy and surgery to repair the defects or redirect blood flow.
Glancing down at his face Bhowram struggled to expound. Her responses were brief and evidently painful. It’s hard to fault her. It would be difficult for anyone to say such grave things about someone so dear, delicate and vulnerable.
“It’s very serious because they said if he does not do the surgery he won’t live beyond six months,” she said with a pleading and helpless look in her eyes.
She continued softly, “I was very heartbroken, I just started to cry, I was scared that I would lose my baby.”
Luke’s procedure must be done in India.
The family was successful in securing assistance from the Children’s Life Fund (CLF) for the operation, however, the CLF’s money will only cover the airfare and accommodation for one parent. It’s a tough choice to make with both parents wanting to be there not only for Luke but for each other as well.
“I want to be there for my son to breastfeed him and it will be difficult for my husband to take care of him alone. After the surgery, he would be in the hotel for two weeks and I want to be with my husband to take care of him. Because he will have tubes in his nose so to feed him would be difficult,” the mother explained.
A relative started a GoFundMe account for the Bhowram family with the goal of USD 9,000. Shalini explained those funds will also go towards any minor cost overruns that may arise during the procedure.
As of Friday, December 27, USD 1,873 was raised.
But time is of the essence.
“They said it is supposed to be done within two months,” Shalini said while acknowledging that Luke is less than two weeks away from that deadline.
However, she explained that an illness he suffered led to a forced delay in his procedure.
“Luke got the flu, and because of that they cannot perform the surgery if he has cold in his lungs,” Shalini added.
“I get scared a lot because the doctor said around this time his heart could fail. So it’s possible his heart can start failing and it could result in...death,” she said almost reluctant to conclude the sentence.
Luke is now over the flu and the family now has the crucial task of keeping him away from further infection.
We even wore face masks and kept at a distance from the child, similar to protocols used at the height of COVID-19.
Looking on eagerly was the Bhowram’s firstborn. The 4-year-old girl, despite her mother’s plea to stay away from the camera, defied those instructions and walked over to comfort them. The child placed a kiss on her brother’s head and her mother said it would be their wish to take the elder child with them as well to India.
Shalini said the four of them are inseparable.
As his sister counted his number of toes aloud Shalini explained that sometimes his feet and fingertips would turn a slight shade of purple due to his condition. A hue of warning that the clock is ticking.
Shalini said with or without the extra funds Luke will be leaving in the second week of the new year.
“I’m scared but I am trying to keep positive, pray a lot and hope there aren’t any complications,” she said.
She explained that her husband, who was at work at the time, was a shadow of himself.
And while the home had the slight essence of the Christmas season, maybe for the sake of the 4-year-old, Shalini said their only focus was on Luke’s survival.
“I love him, and I want him to have a normal, healthy life, and to grow old,” Shalini said, now smiling at Luke who awoke from his post-meal nap.
Shalini explained while in theory raising USD 9,000 may not seem like a difficult task, with only her husband working and the rising cost of living, it is money they simply do not have.
Anyone wishing to help the Bhowrams reach their goal of accompanying Luke as a family for his surgery in India to support his physical and their emotional needs can contact them at 297-6544. Donations can also be made to their RBTT Chequing Account 6600 6390 0401.
The GoFundMe page can be accessed at https://gofund.me/53610515
